Those belongings they could not pack were then left on the driveway in the rain.

They and their two young children subsequently spent several weeks sleeping in their car.

The cottage where Andrew's belongings were left on the drive

"There'd be the two boys in the back, under a couple of quilts. My wife would be up front here. And we'd eat in here," he told the BBC.

"The following morning, we'd go to McDonald's, so the boys could brush their teeth and then go off to school."

Three months after the eviction, they have managed to get a single hotel room, but only have enough money for two more nights.

They cook pasta in an electric kettle and warm up tinned food with hot water in the washbasin.

"I've eaten more pot noodle than I care to admit. It's grim," said Andrew.

'Changing circumstances'

Landlord possession claims - the first stage of the process that could end in somebody losing their home - have also risen, standing at 170,451 in 2013, the highest since 2004, the Ministry of Justice figures showed.

Quite why more people are finding themselves in this situation or eventually being evicted is hard to determine.

It could simply be that more people are renting, or it could be that more landlords are turning to the courts for help with evictions.

The cost of renting has increased, but only marginally.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that private sector rents across the UK rose by 1% last year, well below the rate of inflation.

But in places like London, rent rises may have outpaced wage increases.

"Rents have been rising at a faster rate than wages, and tenants are frequently maintaining their lifestyle on the basis of credit," said Stuart Law of the property group Assetz.

He said that many tenants had been lulled into a false sense of security by talk of an economic recovery.

"But when that credit dries up, and the unsustainable lifestyle continues, payment of rent suffers," he told the BBC.

Others were surprised by the figures.

How to avoid eviction

Get expert advice

Make rent the priority

Do not take out payday loans

Do not ignore letters

Turn up for court hearings

The UK's largest lettings agency, LSL, reported last month that rent arrears were falling.

Ian Potter, the managing director of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), said he too was surprised.

"I can only speculate that it's tenants who've suffered changing circumstances," he said.

The picture for those who own their own home is more positive, according to separate figures also published on Thursday, with low interest rates keeping mortgage costs down.

This was 5,000 lower than in 2012 and the lowest annual figure since 2007.

Advice

The housing charity Shelter says that if people want to stay in their homes when faced with eviction, they need to act quickly.

"Behind these figures is the reality that just one thing, like an illness or redundancy, can be all it takes to tip anyone into a downward spiral that puts their home at risk," said Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter.

The charity advises that rent payments should be the top priority.

Other debts, like credit cards or phone bills, should be negotiated later.

And those looking for an easy way out of trouble should not be tempted by payday loans.

Above all, it advises them to get professional advice, or call Shelter's free helpline on 0808 800 4444.

Meanwhile, Andrew and his family are still homeless. He has even considered begging on the streets, but is determined not to do so.

"We will find a home. It may not be where we want it to be, but we will find it," he said.

"We will make it our own, and we will look back on this as an experience."